The EOC has opened the nomination process for the Piotr Nurowski Prize ©EOC

Nominations are being accepted by the European Olympic Committees (EOC) for the sixth edition of the Piotr Nurowski Prize.

Entries must be submitted for the award, created in memory of Nurowski in 2010 and which rewards the best European young athlete, by September 1.

The respective National Olympic Committees (NOCs) will then present the long list of candidates before the EOC will be tasked with whittling that down to five candidates.

The NOCs will be informed of the final shortlist ahead of the award ceremony itself, which takes place at the EOC General Assembly’s Official Dinner on October 21 in Minsk.

NOCs have been urged when choosing their candidate to consider their performances at event such as the European Youth Olympic Festival and the Youth Olympic Games, the most recent edition of which was held in Lillehammer in February, and World and European Championships.

The winner will receive a trophy and a training scholarship to help him or her to achieve even greater performance.

The four runners-up will also be presented with a memento for reaching the final shortlist.

Czech cyclist Jiří Janošek is the most recent recipient of the Piotr Nurowski Prize
Czech cyclist Jiří Janošek is the most recent recipient of the Piotr Nurowski Prize ©EOC

Nurowski was President of the Polish Olympic Committee and one of 96 people killed in Smolensk in Russia in the 2010 when Polish Air Force Tu-154 crashed on its way to a ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Katyn Massacre, a mass murder of Poles by the Soviet Union during World War Two.

“Through his example and his memory, the award aims to encourage young athletes to pursue a career in elite sport, and also inspire future generations to adopt a healthy lifestyle based on Olympic values and principles,” the EOC said.

Czech cyclist Jiří Janošek is the most recent recipient of the Piotr Nurowski Prize having been given the honour in 2015.

Janošek, was presented with his prize by Patrick Hickey and Thomas Bach, Presidents of the EOC and International Olympic Committee respectively.

The 50 NOCs attending the General Assembly had chosen Janošek as the winner earlier in the day.

He was surprisingly elected ahead of Yana Kudryavtseva, a rhythmic gymnast, who in 2015 had won five titles at the senior World Championships in Stuttgart and four gold medals at the first-ever European Games in Baku.